CEO’s Message: Safety in Numbers

October 2025

Have you considered how many safety precautions you take daily? Most of us probably look both ways before crossing a street, wash our hands to protect against getting sick, or take any number of other steps to protect ourselves and those around us without even thinking about them.

For those who work with high-voltage electricity, safety must be front of their minds. Making a careless mistake isn’t an option. When a single slip-up can result in serious injury or even death, relying solely on habit or muscle memory just isn’t enough.

That’s why Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative makes it a priority for all employees to remain vigilant about safe practices around electricity. An important part of that is continuing to learn about the latest safety equipment and best practices. In a way, it ties right into the fifth cooperative principle, providing education, training, and information for both our employees and our consumer-members.

SVEC has a safety record that I think we can all be proud of. But a culture of safety isn’t something that just happens on its own. It requires hard work and accountability from everyone at our cooperative to ensure that both they and their co-workers go home every day just as healthy as they were when they came to work.

In this issue, you can learn more about how your co-op has built that culture and what goes into maintaining high safety standards each day. You can also read about the National Safety Stand Down, which SVEC took part in last month as part of an effort to draw attention to safety priorities across the industry.

Of course, while safety on the job is of the utmost importance, we also place a high value on the safety of our consumer-members. That is why you’ll find tips for staying safe around electricity at home in this newsletter. And don’t forget to join us for Touch-a-Truck on November 22, a local favorite where kids can learn about some of SVEC’s safety equipment up close.

You can also find out more about Youth Tour applications, which are opening and ending earlier this year. If you or someone you know is interested in the opportunity to visit Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., to learn more about cooperatives, be sure to apply before November 21.

As much as our electric system has evolved over the years, and for all the transformative technology it has made possible, it is still crucial that we all respect the dangers it can pose if not handled carefully. Here at SVEC, you can trust that we will continue building a culture of safety that you can be proud of.